It’s 5:18, and we’re still waiting for word from the U.S. Supreme Court.

If you pray, now is the time to do so again….

Follow the news at CNN.com or www.ajc.com

Just a few hours south of where Troy Davis waits, wondering if he will be killed in less than two hours, Richard Henyard is scheduled to be killed at 6pm by the people of Florida in revenge for his murders of Jamilya and Jasmine Lewis. At vigils around the state and at Florida State Prison at Starke, members of Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty are protesting both scheduled executions.

If you are in the DC area, there is a vigil at the U.S. Supreme Court and another one near the Amnesty office at Seward Square park, eastern quadrant, located between 6th St SE, Pennsylvania Ave and North Carolina Ave SE. The closest metro station is Eastern Market. Both start at 6:45pm. There are dozens of other vigils around the country and abroad. See a list at http://www.amnestyusa.org/troydavis

We just received the following message from Troy’s sister, Martina, who left the prison a short while ago:

“Troy is in good spirits and still positive. Troy has said that whatever the outcome of today we must all keep fighting to end the death penalty, we must remain strong, and he is prayerful and positive. He will pray for all those who have done him wrong and he holds no malice against them. Troy thanks you all for all the hard work and support you have given.”

Martina adds:

“We will keep fighting to clear his name and carry out his wishes to have the death penalty abolished, and make sure everyone has justice in the way they should. Much love to you all.

TROY, MARTINA AND SUE”

***

The following is an account of a visit with Troy on Sunday. If you follow the link to read the full account, please excuse the partisan rhetoric at the top of the page. NCADP is non-partisan.

“Enough is Enough”
A Death Row Visit with Troy A. Davis

By PATRICK DYER

Yesterday I visited Troy Anthony Davis on Georgia’s death row, a little over 48 hours before the state plans to put him to death for a crime he didn’t commit. As I traveled the highway, through the red clay and green pine trees of Georgia this mild autumn Sunday morning listening to Bob Marley, I pondered what it might be like as an innocent man facing an execution in two days. Soon enough I arrived at the front wall of the Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison, located in Butts County, GA. The scenery just inside the front gate on Prison Boulevard, with pond, trees, flowers, and chirping birds belies the heinousness of what lies at the end of the road – a massive penitentiary housing the state’s death chamber for it’s ritual execution of prisoners.

WASHINGTON, DC – The National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty joins with pro death penalty law enforcement officials, abolitionist, civil and human rights organizations in calling for a halt in tonight’s scheduled execution of Troy Davis. There is just too much doubt about whether Georgia is executing the right man to proceed. There is no public consensus in this case, and that should be required before the government asserts its power to kill. To the contrary – the lack of public consensus and concern is reason enough to stop.

We are at a watershed moment in this case. If the execution proceeds, the State of Georgia, its Board of Pardons and Parole and the Georgia criminal justice system will be going beyond the point of return. They will have crossed an unfortunate threshold. No individual or institution that loves justice or fairness will ever be able to look at the individuals involved in this process in the same way.

We will have learned in a sad and tragic way that in the State of Georgia it really doesn’t matter whether you are guilty or innocent of committing a crime once the State is determined to execute a man or a woman. What passes for justice in the State of Georgia is mere window dressing.

If we did not know and understand it before, we know now that the criminal justice system in Georgia is broken. Whatever happens tonight, the struggle is not over. We are committed to helping the citizens of Georgia root out and throw out what is broken in hopes of building a criminal justice system that is worthy of its citizens.

Davis should be given every opportunity to have his appeal heard, especially as he may be innocent. No physical evidence links him to the crime for which he was convicted, the shooting death of a police officer. Additionally, the prosecution based its case on the testimony of nine eyewitnesses, seven of whom have recanted their testimony. One of those who did not recant is a likely suspect in the case. Several of those who did recant indicated that they were coerced into falsely identifying Davis as the killer. There may be more evidence that law enforcement officials withheld information from the defense which would prove Davis’ innocence. Once a person is put to death there is no opportunity to revisit the decision. There can be no posthumous clemency. The State of Georgia should not execute an innocent man.

SENT BY:

Abraham J. Bonowitz
Director of Affiliate Support
National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty
www.NCADP.org
abe@ncadp.org
202-331-4090
561-371-5204 (Mobile)